Farmers need time to adjust to EU rule alignment, warns NFU

The government has published the first list of regulations expected to fall under the UK’s future sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU, prompting calls from the NFU for farmers to be given enough time to adapt.

SPS rules cover food safety, animal health and plant protection, and alignment with EU regulations could affect a wide range of farming and food production practices.

The deal is expected to take effect in mid-2027, although negotiations are ongoing and further regulations could still be added to the list.

The NFU said it is continuing to engage with both the UK government and the European Commission as discussions progress, arguing that any agreement must support a productive and profitable farming sector in Britain.

A key concern is ensuring farmers and growers have enough time to adapt to rules that have diverged from the EU since Brexit.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said many farm businesses are already making long-term production decisions that will affect food sold several years ahead.

“The main thing we’re hearing from our members is the need for a sufficient transition period,” he said.

“Farming is a long-term business – many farmers are making production decisions now that will impact food sold beyond mid-2027.”

The union warned that without appropriate transitional arrangements, farmers could face increased costs and disruption if new regulations are introduced too quickly.

“If this agreement is to work for the British farming sector, it cannot be bound by an impractical deadline which will only increase the cost of producing food, both for the domestic and EU market,” Mr Bradshaw said.

“We need government to take a pragmatic approach and give farmers the time needed to adjust.”

Among the issues raised by the NFU is the need for transitional arrangements covering organic farming rules, plant protection products and biocidal products, to avoid what it described as a potential “cliff edge scenario”.

The union also wants the UK’s progress in tackling anti-microbial resistance and developing precision breeding technologies to be safeguarded, saying these advances are important for building a resilient and sustainable food production system.

Another priority is preserving Great Britain’s ability to continue developing and potentially deploying a cattle vaccine for bovine TB.

The NFU said the SPS deal covers hundreds of regulations, meaning farmers and growers will need clear guidance on how alignment with EU rules could affect their businesses.

Mr Bradshaw said it was vital Defra takes time to explain the implications of the changes.

“The SPS agreement covers hundreds of pieces of regulation, and it’s important Defra takes time to explain to farmers and growers how alignment with the EU rules could affect their businesses,” he said.

The union will consult its members during a six-week Call for Information, gathering feedback from farmers and growers to identify potential concerns.

“We want to hear about any concerns members have over the implementation of the SPS agreement so we can provide a clear picture to government of what is needed to ensure farmers and growers can benefit from this deal,” Mr Bradshaw said.

The government has said the new rules would apply to the Great Britain market, not only to products traded with the EU.

Officials also stressed that the list of regulations published so far is not final and could change as negotiations continue.

The SPS agreement is intended to reduce border checks and ease trade in food and agricultural products between the UK and EU, but farming leaders say the sector must be given sufficient time to adapt to any regulatory changes.